Eric shared in our prayer requests that the church plant we’ve been attending, in the next town over from ours, has just rented a building after meeting in a home for the last six years. How exciting is that?!?! It has been thrilling this last month and a half as the members of this body have seen years of prayers and hope and waiting on God’s timing come to fruition.
While it has been awesome to worship together in the Tomita’s home, in recent months there have been some space issues. Also, as a cultural thing, Japanese are not as comfortable coming into a stranger’s home as they are to a meeting place. So, we are hoping this will be a more comfortable location for seekers and friends/family of church members to come.
In the last several weeks there has been a buzz of excitement among Christ’s body in Toke. Members have stayed for hours after worship to talk and plan and pray together. People have met to pray at the new building, and work on it, or plan for new ministries. It is an exciting time for these faithful saints, who are the only church in this town of 15,000 people. I am so excited as we physically move to a new building, and also, I pray, move closer to Christ and further out in reaching the people of Toke for his kingdom.
I am particularly excited to partner with two other dear women in this body to start a moms and kids’ club. As a stay-at-home mom myself I know how important it is to get out of the house to be with other moms, and for my kids to be with other kids. I am praying that this group, which will meet twice a month at first, will become a community for moms and place to talk deeply about the joys and struggles of parenting. I pray that there will be many opportunities to share with these women the great hope for them and their families found in Christ. I pray that as they come for a big ‘ol play day, they will leave having seen Christ.
Would you praise the Lord with us for this great blessing of a new place of worship and work? Would you also pray with us for His Word to go out from this place into the homes and lives of the lost? Pray that his people would continue to trust God to lead, guide, and provide for this church? Pray for the many new programs and ministries that are starting now with a new place, that many would step foot into Toke Chapel and encounter Christ (most for the first time in their lives!). Pray for our first Moms and Kids’ on the 25th of this month. I will post a little bit more about this later
Thank you for your prayers and, through them, your very real partnership in the Gospel here in Japan.
First worship service at Toke Chapel on November 2, 2008
Tags: Church, Japan, Prayer Requests
